A 38-year-old man climbed the New Jersey roller coaster that was swept into the ocean during Superstorm Sandy and unfurled an American flag Tuesday in what he told investigators was an act of patriotism, NBC 4 New York reported.

Christopher Angulo was handcuffed, arrested and charged with criminal trespassing after authorities coaxed him down from the now-iconic coaster and into a police boat in the frigid Atlantic Ocean, Seaside Heights Police Chief Tommy Boyd told NBC 4 New York.

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Boyd said Angulo, who used a canoe to reach the submerged ride, had three duffel bags full of food and clothing with him and told investigators he was prepared to remain on the coaster for two or three days. He said he "did it for America," Boyd said.

The police chief also told NBC 4 New York Angulo has had previous "run-ins" with the law but did not elaborate on the nature of those alleged infractions.

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Angulo describes himself as a surfer and a climber, police told NBC 4 New York. His mother told News 12 he lives at his grandmother's home in Lavallette and that her son is a bit of a daredevil.

Boyd said Angulo would be given a psychiatric evaluation. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney.